Industrial network communication emulation

Abstract

An industrial simulation system simulates an industrial automation system using a virtual model or digital twin of the automation system and emulated execution of an industrial control program. The simulation system also includes a network emulation component that emulates the device network over which the industrial controller will communicate with field devices of the automation system. The network emulation component can configure the device network emulation based on controller configuration data obtained by interrogating the hardware controller executing the control code being tested, as well as I/O point information obtained from the virtual model.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for simulating industrial automation systems, comprising:
 a memory that stores executable components; and   a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the executable components, the executable components comprising:
 a simulation component configured to execute a simulation of an industrial automation system under control of an industrial control program based on a virtual model of the industrial automation system and execution of the industrial control program by an industrial controller; and 
 a network emulation component configured to emulate a device network over which the industrial controller communicates with devices of the industrial automation system. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network emulation component is configured to perform an interrogation of the industrial controller and obtain, via the interrogation, controller configuration data from the industrial controller, and to configure an emulation of the device network based on the controller configuration data. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the network emulation component is configured to configure the emulation of the device network based on a mapping of logical tag names to physical I/O points defined by the controller configuration data. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the network emulation component is configured to configure the emulation of the device network with a protocol, determined based on analysis of the controller configuration data, for accessing I/O point data in the industrial controller. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein
 the network emulation component is configured to configure the emulation of the device network based on device information obtained from the controller configuration data, and   the device information comprises at least one of identifications of devices that the industrial controller is configured to communicate with, a physical or logical organization of the devices, local or networked connections between the devices, a topology of the connections, or a connection protocol used by the controller to communicate with at least one of the devices.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the network emulation component is configured to configure the emulation of the device network further based on an identification of I/O points simulated by the virtual model of the industrial automation system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the network emulation component is configured to perform the interrogation of the industrial controller and configure the emulation of the device network in response to initiation of the simulation. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network emulation component is further configured to receive device design input defining a configuration for a new device, and to create a device emulation component representing the new device based on the device design input. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the network emulation component is further configured to store the device emulation component in a catalog of device emulation components and to permit selection of the device emulation component for integration into the emulation of the device network. 
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 communicatively connecting, by a system comprising a processor, to an industrial controller via a network connection, wherein the industrial controller executes an industrial control program designed to monitor and control an industrial automation system; and   executing, by the system, a simulation of the industrial automation system under control of the industrial control program based on a virtual model of the industrial automation system and execution of the industrial control program by the industrial controller,   wherein the executing the simulation comprises performing an emulation of a device network over which the industrial controller communicates with devices of the industrial automation system.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 performing, by the system, an interrogation of the industrial controller via the network connection;   obtaining, by the system via the interrogation, controller configuration data from the industrial controller; and   configuring, by the system, the emulation of the device network based on the controller configuration data.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the configuring comprises configuring the emulation of the device network based on a mapping of logical tag names to physical I/O points defined by the controller configuration data. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein
 the configuring comprises configuring the emulation of the device network to accord with a protocol for accessing I/O point data in the industrial controller, and   the protocol is determined based on analysis of the controller configuration data.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein
 the configuring comprises configuring the emulation of the device network based on device information obtained from the controller configuration data, and   the device information comprises at least one of identifications of devices with which the industrial controller is configured to communicate, a physical or logical organization of the devices, local or networked connections between the devices, a topology of the connections, or a connection protocol used by the controller to communicate with at least one of the devices.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the configuring comprises configuring the emulation of the device network further based on an identification of I/O points simulated by the virtual model of the industrial automation system. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the system, device design input defining a configuration for a new device; and   creating, by the system, a device emulation component representing the new device based on the device design input.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 storing, by the system, the device emulation component in a catalog of device emulation components; and   permitting, by the system, selection of the component for integration into the emulation of the device network.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 communicatively connecting, via a network connection, to an industrial controller that stores an industrial control program designed to monitor and control an industrial automation system; and   executing a simulation of the industrial automation system under control of the industrial control program based on a virtual model of the industrial automation system and execution of the industrial control program by the industrial controller,   wherein the executing the simulation comprises executing an emulation of a device network over which the industrial controller communicates with devices of the industrial automation system.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 interrogating the industrial controller via the network connection;   obtaining, via the interrogating, controller configuration data from the industrial controller; and   configuring the emulation of the device network based on the controller configuration data.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the configuring comprises configuring the emulation of the device network based on a mapping of logical tag names to physical I/O points defined by the controller configuration data.